Health and Safety Podcast Transcript: June 11, 2014

Hello, and welcome to the Fairfax County Health and Safety Podcast. I’m
your host Jim Person. Coming up, learn about lightning safety, ticks and
tick-borne diseases and staying safe and connected with your cellphone.
Links to topics mentioned in this podcast can be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov.

National Lightning Awareness Week is June 22-28. Summer is on the way
and that means summer storms are too. Most lightning deaths and injuries
occur in the summer months when people are caught outdoors during the
afternoons and evenings. Remember the 30/30 lighting safety rule: Go
indoors if after seeing lightning you can’t count to 30 before hearing
thunder. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of
thunder.

If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you.

When you hear thunder, immediately move to safe shelter – a substantial
building or a metal-topped vehicle with windows up.

If you are anywhere you feel your hair stand on end, then squat low to
the ground on the balls of your feet. Place your hands over your ears
and your head between your knees. Make yourself the smallest target,
and minimize your contact with the ground.

If you are in an open area or on open water, get to land and find
shelter immediately.

Lightning is one of the top three storm-related killers. It often
strikes outside of heavy rain and may occur as far as 10 miles away from
any rainfall. Stay informed about changing weather conditions during the
summer by tuning in to local media weather reports and monitoring NOAA
Weather Radio. For more about lightning safety, go to www.ReadyVirginia.gov or www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov.

As people are drawn outdoors to enjoy warm summer temperatures,
scientists warn that ticks are also active and encourage precautionary
measures to reduce risk of contracting tick-borne diseases. Ticks are
most active during the warmer months - usually April to September. Ticks
are arachnids that typically live in wooded areas or brushy fields and
survive on blood from hosts, which can include people and pets. Although
most ticks in the United States do not carry diseases, others carry
pathogens that cause a number of illnesses in humans, including Lyme
disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. Many tick-borne
illnesses can be treated if caught early, so it is important to remove
ticks safely and as soon as possible after bites are discovered. If you
or your family spend time in the outdoors you should check for ticks
regularly. Learn more from the Fairfax County Health Department at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fightthebite.

When disaster or severe weather strikes, your cellphone can help you get
information that you need to stay safe and connected with your loved
ones.

Program in key phone numbers. Make sure that your phone is up-to-date
with contact information for your friends and loved ones, especially
those that you would rely on in an emergency.

Remember to text. During emergencies, phone lines may be jammed.
Texting can help you check on your friends and family – and leave the
lines open for emergency response personnel.

Store documents to a cloud drive. In a disaster, make sure that you've
got the information that you need in case your records get destroyed.
This includes copies of identification documents, pictures of your
family members and pets, a list of prescriptions and even basic
financial information.

That’s it for this edition of the Fairfax County Health and Safety
Podcast, produced by the Fairfax County, Va., Government. Thanks for
listening. Additional information about health and safety topics and
emergency preparedness may be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov. And remember, if you have
a police, fire or medical emergency, call 9-1-1. For non-emergency needs,
call 703-691-2131.